1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of interactive voice recognition (VR) systems and pertains particularly to methods for using human voice detection results to select and implement IVR mode during interaction with a caller.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
Interactive voice response (IVR) units are used primarily to interface with callers accessing a point of service or point of routing in a communications network environment, typically a telephone environment. Modern IVR systems enable a caller to make specific menu selections by pushing a button on duel tone multi-frequency (DTMF) enabled telephones. Most modern telephones use the DTMF system. More recently, IVR systems have been improved to include voice recognition capability. Voice recognition at an IVR unit often is made available in conjunction with standard DTMF pushbutton selection options.
One reason that voice recognition is used in an IVR system is to enable those without pushbutton capability on their communications devices to interact with the system. This is suitable in a low noise environment where the user's voice is very clear. State-of-art systems are not always accurate in voice interpretation even in lower noise environments. In moderate and high noise environments like transit stations, airports, clubs, automobiles, or the like, the IVR often fails to recognize the human voice because of interference of the background noises and therefore is unable to recognize the speech pattern under those adverse conditions. User's that do not have buttons on their devices cannot successfully prosecute the transaction under those circumstances. Duel mode (voice and DTMF) IVR routines attempt to recognize the human voice by default, but will accept a tone for menu selection. The menu typically prompts a user to say a particular word or phrase, or to enter an equivalent value by depressing a key on the communications device. A user operating in a moderate to high noise environment often attempts to enunciate the voice key first for every prompt response before finally depressing the appropriate value key not understanding that the system will not recognize any of the user's voice enunciations because of the background noise level and/or type.
Human voice detection solutions do exist for the purpose of detecting human voice in an audio signal which may include background noise. One method for detecting human voice in an audio signal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,194 issued Nov. 20, 2001 to Brooktrout Technology, Inc. titled Voice Detection in Audio Signals. The method uses fuzzy logic to determine a likelihood of human voice in a random audio signal sample by observing power thresholds and frequencies in the sample and generating result values that are compared against known human voice frequencies. The algorithm determines a statistical likelihood of whether the human voice is detected in the sample. Likewise, ways of isolating human voice from background noise in an audio sample have been researched and developed that employ other digital and analog methods to detect and to differentiate human voice from random noise.
What is clearly needed in the art is a method for selecting and implementing a default IVR mode based on HVD analysis of the voice responses received during interaction. A system such as this would streamline IVR interaction for callers enabling faster call handling.